Covid-19 impact – How will electricity sector in the UK be impacted by Rising Consumption?

Sarah Parker
Authored by Sarah Parker
Posted: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - 07:20

The impact of Covid-19 has already been seminal across the globe, with more than 786,000 cases and 37,843 fatalities recorded worldwide (at the time of writing, at least). 

The affect of coronavirus is also diverse of far-reaching, particularly when you consider the social distancing measures imposed by the government and the sheer impact of having high volumes people at home simultaneously. With many of these individuals now working from home too, the demand for electricity is spiking sharply and unlikely to be quelled any time soon.

In this post, we’ll explore this further, while asking what can be done to manage this spike in the near-term?

How has Covid-19 impacted on electricity demand in the UK?

There’s no doubt that the level of demand for electricity will increase further in the coming weeks, with every day now reflecting the typical consumption levels usually seen at the weekend.

According to analysis by National Grid Electricity System Operator, the demand in the residential sector will increase markedly during the so-called lockdown in the UK, with social distancing measures likely to remain in place until early June at least.

While this is leading to an overall spike in consumption, it’s fair to say that the increased residential demand for electricity is being slightly offset by declining volumes in both the commercial and residential sectors.

According to the latest report, the total annual electricity demand in the UK stood at 352.1TWh. Domestic demand had the largest share of this consumption at 30%, followed by industrial (26%) and commercial (21%).

These figures are borne out by the recent spike in consumption, as domestic demand for electricity is now extremely concentrated and omnipresent throughout the day. 

So, while the consumption levels declined in commercial and industrial sectors, the slightly smaller market share of these entities in comparison with domestic usage means that we’ll see a sustained spike overall.

How can this spike be managed?

While the electricity consumption spike in terms of electricity usage may be slightly smaller than initially meets the eye, the National Grid is still taking measures to protect users and maintain service nationwide.

These include the adequate retraining of staff members and introduction of advanced systems, in order to tackle potential power outages or periods of peak demand.

The contingency plans also include temporary camping at a specified place as required, where critical response teams will be equipped with vital spares, bedding and food to help ensure smooth system operations.

There are also technological solutions that can implemented, including the use of DC-to-DC convertors to drive improved efficiency. 

This allows for an even and sustainable distribution of power during peak levels of power consumption, while such technology can also be used alongside digital controls and point-of-load (POL) convertors to drive even greater efficiency over time.